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Old 02-06-2002, 02:10 AM   #69
a007apl
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Bull Fighter

Cast an eye over the uncluttered lines of the Lamborghini Murcielago and it is undistinguishable a Lamborghini at its purest form. Fear that the Diablo would be the last pure supercar with the takeover by the VW empire was put to rest. “I knew it had to be a real Lamborghini and that meant knowing what a Lamborghini is. I wanted to take the DNA of the Miura, Countach and Diablo and let it evolve in the cleanest possible way,” says Luc Donkerwolke, Murcielago’s designer.

Ever since Ferrucio Lamborghini decided to try to build swifter and more exciting road cars than his archrival Enzo Ferrari just up the road in Modena, Lamborghinis have been engine-led motorcars. This time it’s no different: at the core of the Murcielago sits yet another incarnation of the V12 that first appeared in the Countach in 1973. And this time it has a 6.2-litre capacity, mated to a 6-speeder, churns out 571bhp @ 7500rpm and 671Nm @ 5400rpm while top speed is at 330km/h. But problem presented was the cooling – Huge power means needing huge rear wing scoops to keep the temperatures of its V12 down, Donkerwolke worked out an idea to put in a pair of moveable intakes scoop, one at each side and will only deploy when it is necessary. Cool.

Lamborghini claims the Murcielago will accelerate do the century sprint in 3.8sec and get to 160km/h in about 8.0sec. Not quite McLaren F1 territory, but not far off. The sensational engine sound coupled with the jet-like acceleration just makes the Diablo feel old and slow. Very old and very slow.

Vital changes were also reflected in the interior, owner Audi has dramatically improved all the bits you can’t see, such as air-conditioning, ABS, cabin ergonomics and all the electronic system. The cabin is bigger with extra inches here and there, the pedals and Momo steering (with a full size airbag) positioning contributes to a better driving position than its predecessor. What the customer will be aware of, hopefully, is that the new Lamborghini feels more comfortable, spacious, safer and more reliable than the Diablo.

Mine you, you still sit very low in the car and at accurately raked angle, and climbing in requires a concerted effort than a contortionist.
But the most important thing about the Murcielago, is not that it’s so much quicker than its already brisk predecessor, it’s that, fundamentally, it hasn’t changed in personality one bit. The fact that it’s now easier to drive, more friendly on the limit, less thirsty and much more comfortable is great, of course, but the key thing is: it’s still the ballsiest supercar on the planet.
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